Author: Contributor

Article written by: Ben Matias, M.P.A. Her face beautifies glossy magazines; her aura brightens the concert stage; and her performance leaves the audience breathless. Janice Hung has been performing in the recent string of festivities and concert for Filipinos here and abroad. Dubbed by friends as the “Wushu Queen” owing to her winning streak in international Wushu competitions, taipans and business tycoons often invite her to grace their corporate activities, marketing campaigns, and corporate social responsibilities. After years of Spartan training in the martial arts, Janice discovered her own brand of sports entertainment that of literally blending singing and dancing with…

TV5 Chairman Manny V. Pangilinan was a big hit when he took the stage to welcome the delegates of the Ad Summit Pilipinas 2014 which was held in Subic on May 8. MVP’s speech was well applauded especially when he cracked a joke about TV5’s being on number three in ranking. MVP in his opening remarks talked about the evolution of digital media and the effectiveness of these so called “hash tags” in coming out with a marketing campaigns strategy. He also emphasized the importance of having the right people in facing the challenges in digital multimedia. “In the face…

From the PAGCOR Casinos to the TV screen? Making quite an impression with their performance in front of entertainment media last week, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) homegrown talents are definitely headed for bigger things this 2014. Whether it’s joining The Voice of the Philippines or any other reality TV talent shows, these four groups could easily give even veteran performers a run for their money—especially with the continued support and training by PAGCOR’s Assistant Vice President for Entertainment, Bong Quintana. “The PAGCOR management is a staunch supporter and believer in Pinoy talents. Our own homegrown artists are PAGCOR’s…

Ending whispers of her rumored network transfer to ABS-CBN (where elder sister Anne Curtis and rumored boyfriend Sam Concepcion are both under contract),  Jasmine Curtis-Smith signed a new 3-year contract with TV5. The contract signing was held last Wednesday at P.F. Chang’s restaurant at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, and was attended by TV5 president and CEO Noel C. Lorenzana, TV5 chief content entertainment officer Wilma Galvante and Jasmine’s manager Betchay Vidanes.

Giving back to the community by way of service is not always a success as giving gifts to poor people on Christmas or relief operations during a calamity, but the effort showed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development in elevating the lives of the poor has proved one point: That the government is serious in propagating their mission. And what is the mission? To make the 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) works on every poor Filipino. Is it working well? AusAID consultant Dr. Tarcisio Castaneda, an international expert on social protection has answered this question. In an article…

“You will know her name!” If you saw the trailer of Carrie and thought that it just copied Gladys Reyes’ 1997 film Anak ng Dilim then you’re assuming it wrong. You should know that it is based on famous writer Stephen King’s 1974 best-selling novel and it is also a remake of the 1976 film directed by Scarface’s Brian De Palma. Brian De Palma’s close friend Kimberly Peirce decided to retell a modern take of the story. The remake still centers on Carrie White (Chloe Grace Moretz), a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her deeply religious…

Something big was leftover! Cloudy with the Chance of Meatballs was a surprise and delightful hit animation film last 2009 where we last saw the destruction of the “Flint Lockwood Diatonic Super Mutating Dynamic Food Replicator” (FLDSMDFR for short). But did it? The sequel continues where it left off. With the current clean-up of Swallow Falls, the citizens were temporarily relocated to San Franjose, California. Inventor Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) is finally being recognized as he’s invited by his idol Chester V to join The Live Corp Company where the best and brightest inventors in the world create technologies for…

Let the fight for the crown begins! In Star Cinema’s Kung Fu Divas, Charlotte (Ai Ai de las Alas) is from a family of beauty queens, but she has yet to win a title of her own. Her final chance is the Hiyas ng Dalampasigan Pageant, and her mother has taken steps to make sure that she wins. But her chances are dashed when the mysterious Samantha (Marian Rivera) suddenly joins the contest. The two become bitter enemies following the contest, but they are soon forced by destiny to team up. It turns out the two have a hidden connection…

Do you want to experience life (and get lost) in space? You have to explore Warner Bros’ Gravity! From acclaimed filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron, it is an ambitious 3D sci-fi thriller of survival against force of nature. It tells the story of Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock), a brilliant medical engineer who is on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone–tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the…

“A man who lost everything is capable of anything” Placed as second-runner of the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, Prisoners is a film by Denis Villeneuve, the director of the Oscar-nominated foreign language film Incendies. The story revolves around Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) who is facing every parent’s worst nightmare. His six-year-old daughter, Anna, is missing, together with her young friend, Joy, and as minutes turn to hours, panic sets in. The only lead is a dilapidated RV that had earlier been parked on their street. Heading the investigation, Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) arrests its driver,…

What if you could relive any moment until it was perfect? From the creator of Love Actually and Notting Hill, About Time is a romantic comedy by Richard Curtis that will help you discover that making the most of life may not need time travel at all. I’ll open this review with the official synopsis of the film: At the age of 21, Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) discovers he can travel in time. The night after another unsatisfactory New Year party, Tim’s father (Bill Nighy) tells his son that the men in his family have always had the ability to…